


Incurring Damages

by inksheddings



Category: Loveless
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-15
Updated: 2008-06-15
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:00:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inksheddings/pseuds/inksheddings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Forgiveness doesn't come with a debt, but maybe it should.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incurring Damages

It wasn't a rare thing for Kio to meet Soubi for coffee or lunch. They'd catch up on what the other was doing, what projects they were working on. Sometimes Ritsuka would even come along and Kio was always happy to see how the kid was doing, considering he'd yet to move out of his mother's house. Plus he was "dating" Soubi.

Yes, Kio had no qualms admitting that, whenever he saw Ritsuka, he breathed a little easier upon seeing ears and tail still firmly attached.

Soubi was on his own today. Kio had the distinct impression that there was a reason for this, as Soubi had only smoked two cigarettes over two cups of coffee. Kio smoked like a chimney when something serious was on his mind, whereas he'd learned that Soubi actually reduced his nicotine intake while ruminating over something he considered important.

Kio bided his time, making small talk. He knew Soubi would come around to whatever it was when he was ready.

"I need you to do me a favor," Soubi finally admitted as he extinguished his second cigarette in the remains of his coffee cup, rather than using the ashtray.

Kio bit his lip but didn't say anything. Something in Soubi's tone of voice prevented him from agreeing immediately, as he usually would have done. The glint in Soubi's eyes told him that his hesitancy didn't go unnoticed.

"Ritsuka has told me that he's ready."

"Ready for what?" Kio asked though, if the sudden churning in his gut was any indication, he already knew.

"He wants to give me his ears. Tonight, as a matter of fact."

Soubi lit another cigarette as Kio let his own hang loosely from his lips.

"He's _fourteen_ ," Kio said, his cigarette falling to the table top. He picked it up from the wrong end, burning his fingers slightly, and deposited it safely into the ashtray, making sure it was completely out. He wet his napkin in the water glass and wiped down the spot of ash left on the table.

Overkill, probably, but it kept his hands busy as his mind whirled.

Soubi blew smoke towards the window.

"Fourteen and a half. Besides, he's always been headstrong," he said fondly. "First he was adamant about keeping his ears, now he's the same about losing them." He turned away from the window and met Kio's unapproving gaze head-on. "I have always done as Ritsuka wants. You think that changes now?"

Kio was ready and more than able to point out that, according to the kid in question, Soubi had a way of doing as he damn well pleased in such a manner as to _seem_ like he was doing what Ritsuka wanted. Before he could open his mouth, however, he was struck with a mind-boggling yet tempting possibility, hitting him hard enough that he found himself signaling the waitress for a fresh cup of coffee, despite his usual limitations on caffeine.

Cream and sugar–and coffee–safely making it's way to his stomach, Kio felt somewhat calm enough to speak his mind.

"What's this _favor_ you want from me?" The question came out sounding a bit harsh, which wasn't what he'd intended. Okay, not quite as calm as he'd like.

Kio took one of Soubi's cigarettes and lit it. They were a stronger brand than his own, but the burning in his throat and lungs grounded him, and the accompanying head rush felt appropriate to the situation.

Soubi didn't immediately answer, so Kio couldn't help but push forward with his suspicions. He was taking a risk; the risk that Soubi would shut down or alter the truth just enough for his own amusement in order to get back at Kio's momentary temper flare-up. But what the hell.

"Soubi, honestly. You're not sure if it's the right thing to do, are you?"

Again, Soubi said nothing, but this time his silence was an answer in itself.

"Then don't do it!" Kio near-pleaded. "Let him keep a little of his...fuck!" Kio ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Innocent wasn't the right word to describe Ritsuka, not after all he'd been through. Yet it was also _exactly_ the right word to describe Ritsuka, _especially_ after all he'd been through.

Soubi smiled at Kio, one that reached his eyes; the kind of smile Kio had rarely glimpsed but which came more readily since Ritsuka had entered his life. Kio felt his heart flutter in a way he should have been used to by now, but he'd long ago accepted the fact that Soubi was Ritsuka's, in body and soul, and he'd never be Kio's, not like that. It had actually been a while since Soubi had made Kio feel this particular rush of attraction and affection.

The bastard.

"Ritsuka won't punish me if things don't...turn out the way he expects," Soubi finally explained, breaking Kio out of his own self-centered thoughts.

"And you...you want _me_ to do it instead? To-to _punish_ you?" Kio's blood ran cold and he was regretting the coffee as his stomach turned itself inside-out.

Soubi shrugged, as if he was asking for no more than a lift to work so he wouldn't have to take the bus. "He'd never hold it against me, since it's his idea. He rarely punishes me as it is, even when I'm clearly at fault, so–"

Kio slammed his fists down on the table, hard enough to upset cutlery and earn the stares of fellow patrons, but not hard enough to spill the coffee.

"Fuck you!"

"We couldn't go that far."

Kio laughed. Choking down every cusrse-filled yet appropriate response to an entirely inappropriate situation, Kio laughed.

"Kio...please."

Kio stopped laughing and looked at his friend's earnest expression. His _best_ friend. He would do anything for Soubi, including turn him down flat when it was for his own damn good.

"No."

Soubi closed his eyes and breathed out shakily.

"Soubi, _talk_ to Ritsuka. Hell, _I'll_ talk to him if you want! But no fucking way am I going to _punish_ you, no matter how much you might..."

Deserve it? Want it? _Crave_ it?

"No. Soubi, just _no_."

Kio unclenched his fists, waiting for Soubi to open his eyes. He hoped, against all odds, that for once he'd get through to him. The fact that he'd even approached Kio in the first place–despite the fucked-up manner of it all–had to be encouraging, right?

"Nnnnn...thank you, Kio."

Soubi opened his eyes, and the look in them plus the sensual tone of his voice were nothing more than pure, unadulterated satisfaction.

"Oh." Kio's voice was small and deathly quiet. "Oh, you absolute _bastard_."

Soubi just smiled as he put some bills down on the table and stood to leave.

"The coffee's on me."

Kio opened his mouth to...he wasn't sure what. He'd been fooled; led into already delivering the punishment Soubi so desired for an act he had yet to commit. Soubi had covered his bases, and it reminded Kio just how dangerous a friend he'd decided to make.

Kio took his turn closing his eyes. He pushed the heels of his hands into them, willing himself not to cry or throw dishes and knives and everything at everyone until Soubi was well out the door.

He flinched when he felt a gentle touch massage the nape of his neck, but then he pushed back against it.

"Thank you, Kio."

Kio only opened his eyes when he was sure Soubi had been gone long enough that he wouldn't catch a glimpse of him out the window.

He ordered another cup of coffee and settled in for a chain-smoking afternoon. As he reached for his cigarettes, he noticed that Soubi had left his own behind.

Kio laughed and shook his head. He shouldn't forgive him, he really _shouldn't_ , but he'd known Soubi long enough to recognize the shapes of his apologies.

Before Kio left the coffee shop, the glare of the sun through the window bright enough to exaggerate the changing forms of his cigarette smoke, Kio had smoked the entire pack.

  
 **END**   



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